In a mildly surprising move, the Blue Jays claimed Jesus Montero off waivers from the Seattle Mariners today, per beat writer Ryan Divish:
Montero claimed by the Blue Jays
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) March 28, 2016
In a corresponding move, the team designated catcher A.J. Jimenez for assignment.
#BlueJays DFA A.J. Jimenez, who's out of options
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) March 28, 2016
Montero, 26, is a former highly touted Yankees catching prospect, who was dealt to the Mariners in exchange for pitcher Michael Pineda in January 2012. He has disappointed since moving to Seattle, bouncing between the major league club and their AAA team in Tacoma. He never stuck at catcher defensively, and has played mostly first base and designated hitter in recent seasons. Injuries and ineffectiveness have prevented him from building on his hype as a prospect.
Montero’s career with Seattle doesn’t offer a lot of hope for success. After a promising September at 21 with the Yankees, his first full season with Seattle had him notching just 15 home runs in 553 at-bats. His slash line of .260/.290/.386 and tAV of .254 in that season was as good as he was, never showing the power that the Mariners wanted when they sent away a front-line starter to get him.
It’s likely the Jays are attempting to continue to fortify their minor league depth, and will make their own attempt at sneaking Montero through waivers this week. As he made it all the way to Toronto before being claimed (26th in waiver priority), there’s a decent chance that he makes it to Buffalo, and spends the majority of the season with that team. The Jays have several first-base options at the major league level, with Justin Smoak, Chris Colabello, and Edwin Encarnacion all capable of manning the position, so it’s unlikely that Montero ever plays with the big-league club unless there’s a catastrophic series of injuries.
Still, Montero provides good depth and retains some of the upside that made him a top prospect for so many years. He hit .355/.398/.569 in AAA last year, so there is at least a glimmer of hope that he can finally figure things out enough to hit at the major league level. 2016 will give him time in a new organization with different approaches on hitting, so perhaps Montero’s natural talent can finally come to the surface.
Jimenez, 25, is another faded prospect, a catcher who’s served in the Jays system for several years without cracking the big club. With Josh Thole firmly entrenched as the backup, and Tony Sanchez and Humberto Quintero as veteran depth, he too had a long path to the big club, and little future with the team. He was out of options this year, so if he wasn’t making the team, being designated for assignment was inevitable.
Lead Photo: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Amazing that he slipped all the way to 26th. Nice catch on the Jays’ part.